Florida is a state located in the southeastern United States. It is bound by Georgia and Alabama to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Straits of Florida to the south. Originally a colony of Spain, it was purchased by the U.S. in 1819 and in 1845 became the 27th state to join the Union. The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, and the main metropolitan areas are Jacksonville, Miami, St. Petersburg and Orlando. Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", and its state tree is the sabal palm. Florida has grown very rapidly, pulling in retirees from the cold, giving it the 3rd largest population of the 50 states.

The state Constitution of Florida, like all of the other 50 states, acknowledges God or our Creator or the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. It says:

We, the people of the State of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution.

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History

Florida was first settled by Europeans in 1513, when Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon landed near where St. Augustine stands today. de Leon originally spotted Florida on Easter Sunday, so he named it Pascua Florida, which means "Flowery Easter" in Spanish.[1]

For some time, Spain and France ran competing colonies in Florida, with the Spanish eventually expelling the French. John Quincy Adams, serving as the Secretary of State for President James Monroe, negotiated the Adams–Onís Treaty with the Spanish in 1819, purchasing the territory of Florida from Spain.[2]

Economy

A large sector of Florida's economy is based on the cultivation of citrus fruit. As of 2006, Florida produced 67 percent of the United States' total citrus fruit. This breaks down to 74 percent of oranges grown in the US, 58 percent of tangerines and 54 percent of grapefruit.[3] The orange blossom is Florida's state flower, the orange is the state fruit and orange juice is the official state beverage.

Tourism is one of the state's largest economic sectors, with over 112 million tourists visiting in 2016 and with 1.4 million people employed in the industry (as of 2016). Particularly popular attractions include the Everglades, Walt Disney World, and Miami's South Beach district.

NASA's presence in Cape Canaveral makes Florida a very good environment for the aerospace industry. Florida is the 4th largest employer of workers in the aerospace industry, with over 23,000 employed.

Politics

Florida is a swing state in presidential elections. The South Florida region (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach, along with the Florida Keys) along with the urban areas of Tampa and Orlando and the Tallahassee capital area, are heavily Democratic, while the rural, suburban, and northern parts of the state (Jacksonville, Pensacola, and the areas around the Air Force bases of Eglin and Tyndall) are heavily Republican. The swing state phenomenon was most pronounced during the 2000 presidential election when the margin of victory for eventual winner George W. Bush was a mere 537 votes (triggering a mandatory recount under Florida state law and a number of lawsuits and judicial rulings).